FRIDAY, May 9, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Nearly all the U.S. patients who receive implanted heart defibrillators have insurance and most of them are men, a new study reports.

"The striking results show that major disparities are present with [implantable cardioverter defibrillator] implants and this further highlights the importance of adhering to guidelines, so the best possible candidates have access to the life-saving device," said lead author Nileshkumar Patel, of Staten Island University Hospital in New York City.

Patel's team of researchers analyzed data from more than 160,000 implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) surgeries performed on adult patients between 2000 and 2011.

They found that nearly 95 percent of the procedures involved patients with insurance, and of those, men made up nearly 71 percent. Women with insurance accounted for about 24 percent.

The study was scheduled for presentation Thursday at the Heart Rhythm Society's annual meeting in San Francisco.

The findings show the need "to look for new ways to enhance the quality of care and continue to educate on the safety and effectiveness of these devices," Patel added in a society news release.

Data and conclusions presented at meetings are typically considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.